his friend went to the spring. At the sight of the skin
thus stretched out, fear seized him, and he fled.

"I am thirsty," said Ou Ali.

"Eat some salt, my dear friend," answered Ali, "for salt removes thirst."

Ali retired, and, after having eaten, ran to examine the skin that he had
stretched out. Ou AH ate the salt, and was dying of thirst.

"For the love of God," he said finally, "show me where you drink."

Ali was avenged. "Come, Jew-face, and I will show you the water." He made
him drink at the spring, and said to him: "See what you were afraid of."
The meat being finished, they started away. Ou Ali went to the house of
Ali, and said to him:

"Come, we will marry you to the daughter of an old woman."

Now, the old woman had a herd of oxen. She said to Ali: "Take this drove to
the fields and mount one of the animals." Ali mounted one of the oxen. He
fell to the ground; the oxen began to run and trample on him. Ou Ali, who
was at the house, said to the old woman:

"O my old woman, give me your daughter in marriage."

She called her daughter. "Take a club," she said to her, "and we will give
it to him until he cries for mercy."

The daughter brought a club and gave Ou AH a good beating. Ali, who was
watching the herd, came at nightfall and met his friend.

"Did the old woman accept you?" he asked him.

"She accepted me," answered Ali. "And is the herd easy to watch?"

"From morning till night I have nothing to do but to repose. Take my place
to-morrow, and mount one of the oxen."

The next day Ou Ali said to the old woman, "To-day I will take care of the
herd." And, on starting, he recommended Ali to ask the old woman for her
daughter's hand.

"It is well," answered Ali. Ou Ali arrived in the fields; one of the oxen
seized him with his horns and tossed him into the air. All the others did
the same thing. He regained the horse half dead. Ali, who had remained at
the house, asked the old woman for her daughter's hand. "You ask me again?"
said she. She took a club and gave it to him till he had had enough. Ou Ali
said to Ali: "You have played me a trick." Ali answered him: "Without doubt
they gave me the stick so hard that I did not hear the last blow."

"It is well, my dear friend. Ali owes nothing to Ou Ali."

They went away. The old woman possessed a treasure. Ou Ali therefore said
to Ali: "I will put you in a basket, for you know that we saw that treasure
in a hole." They returned to the old woman'